VA-3 Invader
The Variable Attacker (VA) of the UN Forces is a mass produced airframe for ground suppression with the special characteristic of both a Variable Fighter (VF) and a destroid. It was developed as an all-regime attack craft equipped with a ground-attack dedicated FCS (Fire Control System). Its airframe design focused on stability and low altitude atmosphere maneuverability and to that extent excelling in survivability even though it has inferior speed performance.The popular VA-3 Invader (a representative of the VA airframe) led to two or more derivative craft because its high operability. The VA-3 series has also been widely spread to emigration fleets. The VA-3C Custom airframe has been found in the black market where it was obtained and supposedly remodeled by a poaching group operating around the planet Zola. As time went on the UNG increased the number of variable weapons in the military to fit numerous operational roles. The VA-3 Invader was built to fulfill the role of an air and space variable attack craft. Designed by Northrom Grumman's aviation division, the company utilized extensive know-how of ship-borne attack craft to build a formidable variable attack fighter. The VA-3 was developed for heavy attack operations and close air/space support, conducting local strikes with tactical reaction armament or attacks using conventional bombs. Numerous variants of the VA-3 were designed to operate in all kinds of environments and even found use in other non-military markets. Weighing 12.81 tons and with a length of 18.73 meters long, the VA-3 Invader is among the largest and heaviest variable vehicles. Capable of carrying almost 20 tons of additional ordnance, the Invader is in every way a superior attack craft able to operate in any environment. Fully variable, the Invader can transform into Attacker, GERWALK and Battroid configurations and features heavy weaponry in all modes. The primary direct-fire weapon of the VA-3 is the GA-22 60 mm multi-purpose gatling gun pod, the most powerful projectile cannon mounted on a Valkyrie (with the exception of the GU-XS-06 gun pod of the VF-11C Protect Armor variant). The VA-3A and VA-3B models are built without fixed weaponry, but later models feature one laser cannon and one micro-missile launcher mounted in each pontoon/lower arm unit. For all other attack operations, the Invader has six underwing hard points and five fuselage hard points for any load of missile/bomb ordnance up to a total of 19.82 metric tons. The large weapon load makes the Invader ideal for strafing, low-level or high-altitude bombing, tactical strikes and virtually all manner of combat support. The VA-3 is slower and less maneuverable than combat variable fighters, but still within the weight class of heavy fighters and has the capability to engage in air/space combat. The Invader can not only conduct assault operations effectively but can also hold strategic objectives using the variable modes. That versatility in the Battroid and GERWALK configurations allows the VA-3 to participate in the follow up operations of any attack mission without the need for combined arms support. Category:Macross Plus Category:Valkyries